From It’s Always Darkest Before Dawn by Jeremy Kost, published by powerHouse Books
Documenting chic club kids, stylish celebrities, and flamboyant drag queens with ready-in-an-instant Polaroid prints for the past decade, Jeremy Kost has developed an influential following in New York’s downtown art world, as well as on the international fashion scene. Kost makes grids, collages, and blow-ups with his snaps that capture the energy of the moment while exposing a walk on the wild side. It’s Always Darkest Before Dawn, his first monograph published by powerHouse Books, features dynamic, double-page spreads of close-up club pix and staged and assembled portrait collages of a fantasy-filled lifestyle in New York, Paris, and Pittsburgh. From shots of Amanda Lepore and Alaska Thunderfuck to Ladyfag and the Duchess of Razzle Dazzle, the pictures in Kost’s book take you to a costumed underground like you’ve never seen before.